After starting work at the ripe old age of 13, I can't even explain how good it felt to pack in my job last April some 20 years later and register as self employed for my blog and online work. Finally, I'm my own boss.
Working from home really is a blessing and I am so proud of myself that I have been able to make it work out so far, especially with health issues that have made working tricky for me in recent years. Working from home though and being your own boss isn't without it's bad points of course and for every massive plus, there is also a whopping great negative to balance things out.
I'd still MUCH rather be doing what I'm doing now than any job I've ever done and thought I would share the good and the bad parts of being a work from home parent, for anyone who may be thinking of doing the same or simply wants to be reassured that they are not the only one that struggles with it at times.
I'd still MUCH rather be doing what I'm doing now than any job I've ever done and thought I would share the good and the bad parts of being a work from home parent, for anyone who may be thinking of doing the same or simply wants to be reassured that they are not the only one that struggles with it at times.
I'm going to start with the 'cons' as I'd much rather end with the positives - always a better way to end anything. These may not apply to everyone, but they certainly affect me and I think it's so important to be honest with things like this as there's nothing worse than being hyped up to believe something will be a dream come true, only to find it's not quite there.
CONS
Working from home means you are always at home, although you can nip to a cafe and work, or even work from your phone somewhere scenic from time to time, at the end of the day we have no 'other place' to escape to and that at times can be hard. It's lovely to work from home, but being able to escape elsewhere for a few hours had to be the good point of working elsewhere.
It's all on you. Being your own boss means just that and everything that comes with it. You are the one dictating what you do, where you do it, setting deadlines (mostly) and giving yourself the motivation to get even the most tiresome of admin tasks done. Having choice and flexibility is great, but constantly having to be the one in charge can often be a weight to bear.
Life often interrupts. Although it's nice to have the option to tend to a poorly child without hassle from a boss for having time off, or being able to nip out in an emergency, often general life can get in the way, ruin your train of thought or send you seriously behind on work loads.
When you lose your mojo, it affects everything. Losing your mojo at work may, if noticed result in a telling off from someone above, a colleague may have to pick up the pace on your behalf or you may even find yourself wanting to work elsewhere. When it's just you though, you need to find ways to re ignite your enthusiasm and drive to get working. In times of lost mojos, you can get behind on your work, you can feel stressed and you could even lose out on potential earnings.
Everyone thinks you do nothing or just have a hobby. This one is so frustrating. When working from home, especially when you're ultimately a 'blogger', people don't take that seriously, despite the fact I work every single night without fail, often staying up until 2am to get things done and occasionally checking in throughout the day, scheduling things in for all hours and quite literally never switching off. Although we shouldn't care what people think, it is very irritating and makes you feel a little irked.
If you don't work, you don't earn. Simple this one, unlike jobs with a salary, this one is all on you. If you don't work hard, you don't get paid. If you don't get paid, you get stressed. It's a lot of responsibility knowing you need to make X amount each month, but also pretty amazing that we are able to do so mostly. I often feel I'm letting my family down on a bad month, but then again I also spend more time with them so there's less guilt on that front.
Pros
More family time as you can quite literally be there as much as you want.
Making money from home?! Let's think about that for a second. You've completely made yourself a job that's capable of earning actual real hard money, from your very own sofa/bed/home office. How amazing is that?
Flexible time. Whether you're an early bird or a night owl, you can completely tailor your working hours around your life. Appointments, holidays, it's totally up to you when you work which is a godsend with a young family at home.
Endless earning potential. Technically, as long as you put the hours in and plug away, you can potentially earn a really good wage. It is hard work though and totally self motivated, so equally you can get to a pace and living you are happy with and keep going at that speed.
Dictating your own work/style/topics. In my job as a blogger, some online marketing and selling arts & crafts, I get to decide what I do, only to do what I enjoy and if those sell well or are successful, then even better.
Creating your own brand is another important one. It's pretty satisfying making something entirely 'you', taking all the glory, making all the decisions and completely personalising your 'brand' to fit you and your life.
Inspiring your children. Last but not least, is the fact that all the above, having that drive, self motivation, freedom of ideas, passion and energy for something you love, is just a great example for our kids and I'm proud of the fact that if I continue with what I'm doing now then one day they will be proud of me and maybe even inspired to explore their own venture.
If you're a parent (or even if you're not), with an idea for a business you can start at home and are in a position where you could make it work, even if that means living on a super tight budget in the early days, I'd really recommend just taking the leap. Give it a go and just jump straight in. Not trying and always wondering 'what if?' is the worst feeling and you never know, you could get to ditch the 9 to 5, completely work from home and dictate your own life 100%. That has to be worth a try right?
If you're a parent (or even if you're not), with an idea for a business you can start at home and are in a position where you could make it work, even if that means living on a super tight budget in the early days, I'd really recommend just taking the leap. Give it a go and just jump straight in. Not trying and always wondering 'what if?' is the worst feeling and you never know, you could get to ditch the 9 to 5, completely work from home and dictate your own life 100%. That has to be worth a try right?
Do you work from home, or is it something you are considering?
